The Chief of Defence Forces, Gen. David Muhoozi

The Chief of Defence Forces, Gen. David Muhoozi: His meteoric rise to the highest rank and office in Uganda’s military has been due to hardwork, discipline and sheer brilliance

Gen. David Muhoozi is the current Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces. He was appointed to that position on January 9, 2017, replacing Gen. Edward Katumba Wamala. Gen. Wamala served as the CDF from May 2013 to January 2017.

The Chief of Defense Forces is the head of the Defense Forces and is responsible for the Command, Control, and Administration of the Defense Forces. He is also the Chief Military Adviser to the President and Commander In Chief.

Education and Training

Gen. David Muhoozi is a lawyer and army officer. He was born on September 27, 1965 in Mbarara District to Mzee Jackson Rubakuba, a retired police officer and Mrs. Edinansi Kyomugyemo Rubakuba in a family of fourteen children.

Gen. Muhoozi holds the degree of Bachelor of Laws (Hons), obtained from Makerere University, Uganda’s premier and largest public university in 1997. He also obtained the post graduate diploma in legal practice from the law development Centre in Kampala, Uganda. He had earlier on in 1993 obtained a diploma in law from the same institution. The General also holds a Masters in Arts (International Studies) from Kings College London and Masters in International Affairs from the University of Ghana, Legon. Gen. Muhoozi attended Masaka Secondary School and Mbarara Secondary School for his O’Levels and Kigezi College Butobere for his A’Levels.

Gen. Muhoozi joined the army in 1985, undertaking basic military training with the then NRA guerillas at semuliki and Buhweju/Nsika in western Uganda. He was commissioned to the rank of second lieutenant in 1989 after undergoing the officer cadet course at the School of Infantry jinja from 1988 to 1989. He has also undergone the following military training and programs during the course of his career: Junior Command and Staff College in Jinja in 1992, Company Commander’s Course at Monduli Military Academy in Tanzania in 1998, Senior Command and Staff College in Ghana in 2004/05, and National Defense College at the Royal College of Defence Studies in the UK in 2007.

Career

Prior to his current position, Gen. David Muhoozi served as the Commander of the Land Forces (CLF) in the UPDF, from 2013 to 2017. In his role as the CLF, he was closely involved in preparing, deploying and supervising Ugandan battle groups that are the main component of the African Union peace enforcement operations in Somalia under AMISOM.

He also served as the Air Defence Division Commander from 2011 to 2013, as the Armored Brigade Commander from 2008 to 2011, and the Motorised Infantry Brigade Commander from 2006 to 2007. He had a brief stint as the Air Force Chief of Staff in 2008. Previously, Gen. Muhoozi commanded operations in Beni and Bunya in Eastern DRC as the battalion commanding officer of 19th and 53rd Infantry Battalions.

In his long and eventful career to date, Gen. David Muhoozi served with the military intelligence, was an instructor at the School of Infantry Jinja, and a platoon commander in the early 1990’s. From 1996 to 1997, he served as the defense counsel of the military court – the General Court Martial based at Makindye military barracks.

Gen. David Muhoozi is married to Stella Alibatesa Muhoozi and they have been blessed with four children.